From Gerald (Gerry) Brown, Media Consultant in Hong Kong, the latest buzz on the Digital Broadcasters market in Asia-Pacific, South Asia and the Middle East covering the latest content and hardware moves in HDTV, 3G, IPTV, Mobile TV, terrestrial radio and TV, cable TV, broadband, satellite broadcast and streaming online.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Canada exempts MobileTV from Broadcast Controls

Canada's broadcast watchdog authority, the Canadian Radio-Television
Commission (CRTC) handed down an interesting decision on April 12
that puts mobile TV services which offer television programming
accessible through a wireless handset, such as a cellphone, to be
exempt from regulation.

The Commission determined that the services provided by Bell Mobility
Inc., Rogers Wireless Inc. and TELUS Mobility, in conjunction with
MobiTV Inc., fall within the Commission's New Media Exemption Order,
which applies to services that are delivered and accessed over the
Internet.

Further, the Commission also determined that mobile TV services,
whether or not they are delivered and accessed over the Internet,
should also be exempt from regulation, and issued a public notice
asking for the input of Canadians on a proposed exemption order to
that effect.

Importantly, "The Commission considers that exempting mobile TV
services promotes innovation in delivering television to Canadians,"
said CRTC chairman, Charles Dalfen, "without adversely impacting the
ability of licensed broadcasters to fulfill their obligations under
the Broadcasting Act."